1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid cartridge for housing and discharging liquid, which can stably discharge the liquid out with substantially no rest, no matter how the cartridge is directed.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is necessary for a device provided with an apparatus employing liquid, such as a fuel cell, to be equipped with a liquid cartridge. The liquid cartridge should be accompanied with feeding means for feeding the liquid, such as a pump. In a case where the pump is employed for feeding the liquid, usually, a strainer connected to the pump is inserted into the liquid housed in the cartridge so that the liquid is extracted through an end of the strainer. Some issues are raised when the liquid cartridge is applied to mobile devices.
Lightweight and compact constitutions are required for the mobile devices due to them carried around. The pump may cause a severe weight gain in mobile devices. Additionally, the mobile devices are carried around so as to be oriented in a variety of directions. Thus, the strainer may be displaced from a proper position in the liquid, therefore it may happen that the end of the strainer can become disposed into a bubble in the liquid. In such cases, the supply of the liquid comes to have a problem and malfunction of the device can be induced.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-223058 discloses a liquid cartridge which per se includes discharging means for discharging the liquid so as to omit the pump and the strainer.